Louise Oriti, Executive Director, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the recent passing of Emeritus Professor Stuart Pegg AM at the age of 91.
Emeritus Professor Stuart Pegg AM was a pioneer of burns management, undertaking much of his work here at RBWH. He has received national and international recognition for his achievements.
Professor Pegg completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1956, before spending time working in North-West Queensland, Brisbane and the UK. He returned to Brisbane in 1967 and commenced his role as Surgical Supervisor including burns management at the Royal Brisbane Hospital (now RBWH).
During his time at RBWH, he discovered his true passion for improving the quality of burns care provided to patients. Understanding the benefits of multidisciplinary care, Professor Pegg advocated for physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers to become integral to the burns unit. He also pioneered the development of burns surgery both in Queensland and nationally, introduced many new techniques and commenced the use of pressure garments in Australia.
Professor Pegg was appointed Director of Surgery at the Royal Brisbane Hospital from 1977 to 1994.
His dedication and expertise has revolutionised burns care in Australia and helped thousands of burns patients. RBWH’s Burns unit, which is the major referral centre for Queensland, Northern New South Wales, Northern Territory and the Pacific Islands, is aptly named the Professor Stuart Pegg Adult Burns Centre.
In 1996 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to medicine, both at RBWH and the Royal Children’s Hospital (now Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital).
“What matters most is securing the best outcome for your patients, and you do this by building and passing on knowledge to the next generation. You want them to be better than you were so that more lives can be saved.” Emeritus Professor Stuart Pegg AM.
Vale Professor Pegg.
Kind regards,
Louise.